| TRAI: Inactive Mobile Connections With Rs 20 Balance Will Not Be Deactivated

TRAI: Inactive Mobile Connections With Rs 20 Balance Will Not Be Deactivated

By: Gizbot Bureau

Updated: Sunday, February 24, 2013, 6:59 [IST]

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had announced that inactive mobile numbers that have a balance of at least Rs. 20 in the account cannot be deactivated. The time period for assigning the ‘inactive' status to mobile numbers has been set at 90 days. The telecom authority has announced the new decision as a move to protecting customers.

The authority announced that consumers need not face service deactivation if they have a minimum balance of Rs. 20 in their account. It also said that the services will not be deactivated for a period of non-usage that is less than 90 days. The amended regulations also say that the telecom service providers will have to provide users with the facility of reactivation. Reactivation of mobile numbers can be done by users by paying a specified amount as fee.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has also fixed a grace period for reactivation of numbers. The authority said that users whose number have been deactivated due to non-usage can avail the facility of reactivating their numbers within a period of 15 days from the date of deactivation. The telecom authority feels that there is a serious lack of transparency when it comes to deactivation of mobile connection by various telecom companies.

The consumers are not intimated on a proper basis regarding the terms and conditions of deactivation of services for non-usage. The balance amount of users also gets fortified in the deactivation process and this causes inconvenience to customers and the recent amendments done by TRAI are keeping in mind the best interests of consumers.